What do you do when the washing machine quits? Make a service call, try to describe the problem, fall short on technical vocab and end the call in frustration. Sound familiar?

Well, not anymore. Kenmore recently announced a new bit of technology in their appliances called Kenmore Connect. When something goes wrong with the appliance, simply call the the 800 number and hold the phone up to the appliance. The appliance will do the talking--albeit through a series of beeps and robotic noises. Probably not unlike R2D2.

By using this technology, the folks at the call center can quickly figure out if the problem is something that the consumer can fix right then and there. It promises to cut out a lot of unnecessary and costly service calls. And if the problem does require a technician, they're bound to work faster since they already know what the problem is.